A Georgia man who was caught on camera slapping the behind of a reporter covering a local foot race has pled guilty to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, the Associated Press reports.
Thomas Callaway, a 44-year-old youth minister, has been sentenced to one year on probation, fined $1,000, and was ordered to perform community service for 200 hours. He was arrested in December after footage caught him hitting WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian on her rear end while she was reporting on the event.
Callaway said in an apology before his arrest that he hadn’t intended to touch Bozarjian on her buttocks. He said he was trying to pat her on the back or shoulder, but Bozarjian told WSAV-TV that his explanation is no excuse.
"All I really hope is that, going forward in the future, he will do better," Bozarjian said on Tuesday, after the sentencing.
"While I understand that this has probably disrupted his life more than he ever imagined," she added, "nobody has a right to touch anybody or slap anybody for their own amusement."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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